Abstract

Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula is a relatively rare disorder of the circulation which is familiar to most cardiologists and thoracic surgeons. It should be of interest to all physicians. We wish to reiterate the fundamental relationship between pulmonary arteriovenous fistula and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasis, to summarize their important clinical characteristics, and to discuss two cases occurring in a family, one of which was cured by lobectomy.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasis is a primary vascular disease characterized by cutaneous, mucosal and visceral telangiectasis and angiomata, hemorrhages and a hereditary transmission. The lesions are commonly seen on the face and on the mucosal surfaces